29 April -05 May 2013 - orsam

Amid political instability, farmers’ plight goes from bad to worse
As government politics continues to remain in a state of turbulent and violent uncertainty and
instability — clashes abound, parliamentary election dates are announced and soon canceled, farmer
loan forgiveness is promised with no follow-through — the lives of Egypt‘s farmers are going from
bad to worse.
When, in 2009, the World Bank estimated that about 40 percent of Egyptians live below the poverty
line of US$2 a day, the majority were small farmers and rural families.
It is difficult to imagine how much worse things could actually get.
Mahmoud al-Mansy, spokesperson for the Sons of the Soil NGO and a longtime farmer says, ―We
basically are ‗food‘ farmers who are unable to find food to eat.‖ Sons of the Soil was established in
the mid-1990s to fight for farmers‘ rights soon after former Agriculture Minister Youssef Waly
dissolved the farmers‘ cooperatives.
The plight of Egypt‘s farmers has always been serious, particularly for small- to mid-sized farmers
who simply farm land to sell produce. The bigger players, on the other hand, have registered
corporations with thousands of feddans, and allegedly have a monopoly on the market, yet make up a
small percentage of the farming population.
But now, rural negligence over the past two years, along with mixed messages from ministers and
government officials, have given rise to new issues.
Mansy says the increasing inability to access quality seeds, irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides has
led to a growing black market.
―The bigger farms, some of which are Brotherhood-run, import their seeds and have showed zero
interest in helping the smaller players,‖ he says. ―The black market fills that void, but for a price.‖
Mansy explains that the black market is both expensive and unreliable, meaning farmers often lose as
their produce is sold to city markets for very little money.
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